Every once in a while, for our own amusement, we cruise the shady back alleys of the media insiders world. A world where content makers, advertisers and public relations lackeys engage in all sorts of unspeakable acts. We hit the streets so that we can bring you, dear reader, the latest on the seamy underbelly of the media world. You know things are getting weird when media-porn outlets like PR Week say the following:
It is no secret that traditional media have suffered in credibility and reputation over the past few years. While promises by public editors and apologies by editors-in chief for publications’ transgressions have become far too common, some outlets are now considering other ways to regain readers’ trust.
Kerins says media companies are more likely to utilize outside PR firms than in previous years.
“You’re seeing a much greater convergence of public relations in the news media,” he says.
For many media organizations, transparency is a growing trend, says Sam Whitmore, editor of Sam Whitmore’s Media Survey, a website that offers analysis of the industry.
“I think media are trying to figure out a good way to involve readers and listeners in their processes without necessarily handing over the keys,” he says.
To give you some context, this quote was pulled from an article on “PR Trends” where their greatest minds mull over the near future of the PR industry. We find it endlessly amusing that the news industry’s response to the massive drop in quality journalism is to employ PR flacks to “improve their image.”
Most interestingly though is involving the audience “in their processes without necessarily handing over the keys.” This is exactly the dilemma faced by old media as new media begins to rise, there really isn’t a way to imitate the interactivity of the net with one-to-many media like television, newspapers and magazines.
